HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1974-04-04, Page 20q
P40,4 4A- ►UDERIUH SIGNAL,•STAR, T.KURSDAY, APRIL, 4,
O
974
cal
cM
w is recur
bRy 'Bi l • Dimmick
usicians :and composers
have traditionally drawn in-
spiration from strange and
varied wonders the world of-
fers._ Beethoven watched
moonlightdance on his
keyboard as he compoied he,
Moon.,light Somata; '� a
nightingale singing amid the
thunder; of ' during the
German hilt London during
World War II, i spired Vera
Lynn's hit warti a recording,
-anti ' Prince Ed and Island
potato farming prompted Stom
pin' Tom Conners to sing Bud
the Spud from the Bri'kht Red
Mud"
. Possibly one of the strangest
musical inspirations came to
the McMillan' Family Fortress
when the group performed at a
special church service on a,
dusty street in Port-au-Prince,
Haiti, in the West Indies.
The" McMillan family, from
Goderich, began , playing
religio4s music as a group
about four ,years ago. An"
a American Evangelist,' John
Woodhouse, heard the fary
play and sing at a church ser-
vice sponsored by, the Huron
Christian Men's Association in
May 1972. He invited them to
accompany him on a tour of the
West Indies the following
January:'
"At first' we thought he .was
joking, but we soon learned.
that he wasn't," • Mrs: Shirley
McMillan said as =she and her
family sat talking about their
experience. • . •
•. 'Shirley 'plays alto saxophone
in the group. Her husband Don
„plays trombone, son Ernie, 16,
lead• trumpet., daughter
Eleanor, 14, clarinet' and.
Elizabeth, , 10,., plays second
trumpet.
"It was pretty hot. People
were corning 'off the street. 1
'think the music attracted
them, Ernie . said,recalling,
that memorable Sunday. , .
The church was not a church
as one would find in Goderich.
It was a 'building. Nothing was
inside. It wa's, ju.;t ,,,a .:shell. The'
atmosphere reflected poverty, a
contrast to what Canadians are
used to.
The ,McMillans noted that '
the service was humble yet it
had tremendous sincerity.
- "There were no benches, just,
a pulpit," Don said.
"An old man noticed we were
haying difficulty to hold our,
music ,down,l' Shirley said. ; ..
He took clothes pins holdik
his laundry and offered them t
the family th hold their sheet
music in place.
Another difference the- family
encountered, was the service in
Creole, the language of Haiti.
Everything said was translated
for thein.
The service was 'special. It
was special to he Haitians who
attended because it marked the
opening of•a,new church, spon-
sored by 'the Oriental
Missionary =Society. It was
special to the McMillans
because they vowed to help
support the church with money
they made playing as a group.
.When , they play, no fee is,-
charged.- Donations are accep-
ted: The McMillans keep only
enough money to cover 'their
expenses, the rest they send to
the church in Haiti.
The ,idea of a long playing
record came 'to ,them last Sep-
tember or "October`'
"We thought we could make
more money with the record,'
Shirley said. ,
The record has 16 religious
songs, most of'them traditional.
Four selections were written by
William Guither and,John
Peterson, modern ospel
writers. To help fortify the
McMillan family's sound, two
.other Goderich musicians
"joined the recording session.
' William Camera ;•"" S'l'ayed
organ. He is Director of Praise,
Knox. Presbyterian; Church,
Goderich, and music supervisor
of the Goderich Public School
System.
Frank .Bissett who' is organist
and choir leader of iGoder.ich's'
..First Baptist`^"Church, played
piano.
The record album is inter=
denominational, Persons of all
Christian faiths can enjoy' it.
Satisfaction comes not only
from listening to the music
however; as ''all profits• go
towards funding the mission
church in Port -,au; Prince.
The ;album " is tl sold in
Goderich at most churches and
Anderson's Book Centre. In
Clinton., the Radiant Life Cen-
tre sells it. Price is $3.50.
Sales have been good.'
"J've sold about 60 myself,"
Don said.,. °
' He added that the album will
seon be 'for sale in most' of
'Huron CountY. No plans have
been made for, national
record- label, Newmarket, Ont.,
the album is technically' good.
It combines both instrumental
- and vocal tracks,.-. lending
:' variety to its format.
As Conversation with the
• McMillans drew to an end, -
,,
Don -mentioned a stark contrast
which has stood out in the
minds of the family. After
?leaving dust and poverty in
Haiti, they arrived in gleaming,
'Miami within 2 1/2 hours, The
, , ca
cruising along
nightspotspaved
shirty streets
clashed with their recent
memories of tumbledown°
shacks, the • church empty of
everything but people with
faith, people riding on donkeys.
Ten year qld Elizabeth said,
as . the family drove their car
out of Miami toward home,
"These people don't look as
happy as the poor people in
Haiti."
rehtt leediff
IN QODERICH
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The
McMillan ,Fa.oily:, Fortress,
The mui4icians recorded the
album JanuaTy • 26. It was
released March 22.
Recording went well. Num-
bers ,were rehearsed in ad-
vance. Some problems were en:
countered when the gr9up
"We kind of froze in front of
the equipment," Shirley
remarked.
The,McMillan• Family For
.tress was used to playing- to
peopfe, *but 'cold microphdnes
and banks of -"recording in -
They completed only _five num-,,,
bers in the' morning, but after
lunch they finished 'the other 11
selections. The session lasted 9
1/2 hours. 0
The ,album is called sent
sPiration the family first „heard
during tlie Oriental Missionary
Society Conventjon in St.
Pet rsburg, Fla., just before
the embarlted on the West In -
Recorded on the Tip Top
from left,
Elizabeth, Eleanor, Ernie.
HUTCHMSON APPLIANCES
iRADE INS ACCEPTED
*308 HURON pc).
524-7831
Junior Farmer anniversary set
-By JIM- HENDERSON
RR 5, Seaforth
President', Huron County
Junior Farmers
rt is my pleasure tO be
president of the Huron County,
Junior Farmers on the year of .
their 2,5th A:nnlversary. In 1949
the Junior Farmers of' Huron
County formed 'e county club
4.
•
WELCOME
SERVICE
would like lo,call you with
"housewarrning gifts!' and in-'
.formation . about your pevi
location. The Hostess will be
glad to arrange your subscrip-
tion to. the Signal -Star ,
Call her at 524-6051
which became a part of the'.
provincial' iirganization- The
Jimior- Farmers are planning
celebrations for later in'. the
In' the , past 25' years the
changes with the joining of the
Junior Institute v‘iieh Athe
Junior Farmers being a ,mejor
_one, Many urban young people
joining the organization in the
past few ,yeara• his increaSed
the number ormembers.
" The Junior Farmers in the
past have tried ,Co keep up its
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sport tournaments :and Many
services too.
The, Junior Farmers also aim
in.trynig to help -its members in
developing leaderSh‘p qualities
and develop youngi people's
ski143, in singing, debating;
'drama etc. and in many games
The Junior Farmers is a
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develop their skills and 'leader -
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1'974
INTERVIEWS
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Ms, Angela Armitt, DirectOr of die Summer School and Exton-
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Students presently taking University courses or persons in-
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